One Dom to Love (The Doms of Her Life, #1) by Shayla Black, Jenna Jacob, Isabella LaPearl Series: The Doms of Her Life #1
Published by Dream Words on December 4th 2012
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica
Pages: 237
Goodreads
FINAL DECISION: This book is a battle. Two men competing for one woman. I usually don’t like these types of stories, but this one worked because the emotions felt genuine. Certainly not for everyone, but without a doubt, deeply emotional. Readers should be aware that this is continuing series and the issues are not resolved here.
THE STORY: Raine Kendall has loved Alpha Dom Macen Hammerman for years, but Macen has never treated Raine as anything but a child. Determined to make him change his mind, Raine shows him that she is all woman. Macen knows that he can never claim the naturally submissive and yet feisty Raine because she will destroy her. When Macen breaks Raine’s heart again, she turns to Macen’s best friend and fellow Dom Liam O’Neill. Liam wants Raine and treats her well, but Raine still loves Macen. Macen isn’t ready to surrender Raine even as he fights claiming her.
OPINION: This book introduces the conflict between the main characters. This book is the beginning of a serial about Raine, Macen and Liam. I knew this going in so I wasn’t disappointed that things were not resolved in this book. This book is only the opening act.
Raine has loved Macen for years. A woman used to being abandoned, she desperately wants to be loved. While she has submissive tendencies, she is also mouthy and has her own wants and desires that she will not give up. Her character is central to this story because both men are sniffing around her and also because the reader has to believe that she can have a relationship with both these men.
Macen is a haunted man. He doesn’t want to bring Raine into his world and yet he refuses to let her go. We learn that his wife died and Macen believes it is because of his lifestyle. He wants to save Raine by keeping his distance. In this book, he is tormented by the possibility of losing Raine. His desperation made me sympathetic to him even when I would otherwise think he is jerk for the way he treats Raine.
Liam seems like the sweeter guy, but he can also be a jerk. We don’t learn much about his in this book and his demons although he does reveal that he does not take infidelity well because of his own past.
I really liked that these characters have a tangled relationship. Love, hate, desperation, lust. I have read books before where the woman is involved with two men, but those books are usually ones where the men desire a menage. These two guys are competing against one another and Raine is caught between. That brings more angst and uncertainty to the book, but I enjoyed the conflict (which is not resolved).
WORTH MENTIONING: Content warning for those who want a one woman one man romance. Raine is involved with two different men in this book. There is also public sex, BDSM and lots of sexual activity.
CONNECTED BOOKS: ONE DOM TO LOVE is the first book in the Doms of Her Life series. This is a continuing story about the menage rather than four separate stories.
STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.